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OUR AIM 


Profitable Sheep Production on Every Farm 
What The Leading Agriculturists Say 


“T shall be glad to do what I can to assist you in what I regard as a wise move- 
‘ment and one which in my judgment is likely to have in some states at least far 
reaching and beneficial consequences.”—William P. Brooks, Director Massachusetts 
Agricultural College. | 

“We shall be most happy to cooperate with you in stimulating interest in sheep 
raising in our state.”—Jacob G. Lipman, Dean and Director, New Jersey Agricultural 
Experiment Stations. 

“Tf we could get one or two ‘bankers in each county to loan money for the pur- 
chase of flocks of sheep, it would not only interest the farmers but the business men 
in the sheep industry. I believe it could be accomplished so we would at least have 
a dozen or more flocks in each county.”—H. A. Morgan, Dean of University of 
Tennessee. 

“The College of Agriculture will be glad to co-operate with you in promoting the 
sheep industry.”—F. B. Mumford, Dean and Director, University of Missouri. 

“This department is very much interested in a movement of this kind. You can 
rest assured that we will render any assistance that you may wish in putting across 
your plan in this state.’ ma S. Templeton, Professor of Animal Husbandry, 
Alabama. , 

“We are very much pleased Phat you realize the seriousness of the shortage in 
mutton and wool and trust that your undertaking will meet with the greatest of suc- 
cess.”—R. B. Cooley, Professor of Animal Husbandry, Rhode Island. 

“T believe that your idea is a very good one and should be encouraged in every 
way possible, since sheep may be very profitably raised by a large number of 
persons.”—R. L. Hagen, Assistant State Leader of Clubs, California. 

“Offers such as yours will do much I am sure to arouse a greater interest in the 
work and I have no doubt but that we shall be able to get several hundred boys and 
girls interested in the care and management of sheep.”’—F. L. Griffin, In charge of 
Junior Extension Work. New York. | , 

“T believe that you have an excellent plan and one that will appeal to the people 
of this state very much, indeed, We have an excellent state for the development 
of the sheep industry. We have approximately 100,000 sheep and the state could 
easily support 3,000,000 sheep. It only needs a movement such as you have started 
together with some good follow-up plans to develop the industry very greatly in this 
state.”—W. L. Carlyle, Dean of the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College. 

“Your plan of stimulating the sheep and wool industry appeals to me to be very 
sensible. I believe if this plan is carried out something worth while will be ac- 
complished.”—H. L. Price, Dean of Agricultural Department, Virginia. 

“T assure you that we gladly take advantage of every offer of assistance to 
promote club work on a permanent basis in Indiana.’-—Z. M, Smith, Boys’ and Girls’ 
Club Leader, Indiana. 

“We shall be very glad to help in any way that we can in the campaign you are 
promoting.” —W. E. Carroll, Professor of Animal Husbandry, Utah. 

“T believe that your sheep club idea is a splendid SHS inte L. Farley, Super- 
visor, Junior Extension Work, Mass. 

“T am very much interested 1 in your proposition ai hope we can do something to 
further your campaign.”—F. S. Harris, Director Utah Agricultural College. 

“fam pleased with your suggestions and believe that we shall be able to cooperate 
with you in this project.”—Otis E. Hall, State Club Leader, Kansas. 

“We shall be glad to assist you in any way possible in this undertaking.” —W. H. 
Tomhave, Professor of Animal Husbandry, Pennsylvania State College. 

“T believe your Sheep Club to be a good one. Call upon me at any time to assist 
you.”—James W. Wilson, Professor of Animal Husbandry, South Dakota. 

“T think this plan has some very excellent features.’—J. H. Skinner, Head of 
Department of Animal Industry, Indiana. 

“T wish to state that we are wholly in sympathy with this effort which you are 
putting forth.”—H. B. Pier, Assistant Professer, Animal Husbandry, Nebraska. 


JU™ 


youn Y 


Profitable Sheep Production 
on Every Farm 


Tee 


Wool is one of the few every-day 
essentials that we do not raise in 
sufficient quantities to meet our 
wants. Our annual consumption of 
wool is about six hundred million 
pounds, this year we will raise 
about two hundred sixty million 
pounds. 
increasing, our sheep are decreas- 
ing. In 1900 there were one mil- 


lion farmers keeping sheep—today 


there is but few more than half a 
million engaged in raising sheep 
and wool. There are more than 


twelve million less sheep today 


than in 1900. In’ the warring 
countries sheep have been slaught- 
ered by the millions, and conse- 
quently there will be a great short- 
age of sheep and wool for years to 
come, which means that the sheep 
raiser is going to receive large 
profits from his flock. It is 
claimed that the United States 
can profitably.increase the num- 
ber of sheep to one hundred and 
fifty million. After taking all of 
these facts into consideration, we 


decided to do all in our power to 


bring the seriousness of this situa- 
tion to the attention of the boys 
of the United States. In our opin- 


While our population is 


ion that is about the only way to 
remedy it, as they will be the farm- 
ers of tomorrow and we want to im- 
press upon them the importance of 
sheep raising. We want to show 
them that it is a most valuable 
branch of animal husbandry. After 
taking the matter up with various 
agricultural colleges, and men high 
in the live stock world, we decided 
on the Bradley Sheep Club as a 
means of showing the young men 
of the country the importance of 


‘sheep raising. -Details of the Club 


have been carefully worked out. 
You will find the plan on pages 15 
and 16. It is our hope to get sev- 
eral thousand boys interested in 
sheep raising. Many of these boys 
will receive a flock of sheep with- 
out any cost whatever to them- 
selves, as you will note that we will 
cancel a number of the notes each 
year. Quarterly Bulletins will be 
issued to keep up their interest, 
and keep the boys informed as to 
just what their brother workers 
are doing. It is hoped that at the 
end of the five-year period this 
Sheep Club will have been the 
means of increasing the number of 
sheep in the United States by many 
thousand. | ‘ 


BRADLEY KNITTING COMPANY 


DELAVAN, WISCONSIN 


How to Care For Sheep 


By ANTHONY R. GOULD, 
Associate Editor of the American Sheep Breeder. 


Sheep husbandry is as varied in its 
methods and practices as any occupation. 
There are as many ways to shear a sheep 
as there are to plow corn or throw an 
“in”, A southpaw does not throw to first 
the same as a right hander. The prac- 
tices explained here are not the only 
ways. to do a certain thing, but they are 
commended to the beginner with a few 
breeding ewes. These ideas must be 
adapted by you, to your sheep, your farm 
your general conditions. Remember your 
success depends on fitting these ideas to 
the task at hand. If you read_ these 
pages with that in view you will stand a 
good chance to cop a prize. 

The first day that you receive your 
ewes you will be inclined to start to fat- 
ten them right away. Dont. Let them 
have a good drink of water and then all 
of the dry hay they will clean up readily. 
The next morning give them hay and 
then put them on pasture. When you go 
to get your ewes it would be well to ask 
the breeder how he has been feeding 
them and that will give you an idea as 

to how to continue. 

Cold and wet weather will now be ap- 
proaching and you should remember that 
rain, sleet, and wet snow are enemies of 


The your flock. Don’t make the 
Value of mistake of not sheltering 
Shelter your ewes until they have 


become wet, in other words, don’t’ wait 
until most of the damage is done. A dry, 
sheltering shed or a corner of the barn 
should be reserved for the ewes. Plenty 


of fresh air and no drafts are precautions © 


to follow in selecting your sheep quart- 


ers. A heated barn is dangerous rather ' 


than a safeguard. Don’t make them lie 
on a pile of manure for this means filthy 
fleeces that will sell under -price at 
shearing time. In wet weather bring 
your ewes up every night for a bad soak- 
ing means suffering’if not loss. More- 
over, the dogs may be after your sheep 
if let out in the field. Dogs will run 
your ewes and possibly catch and kill 
them. 

You should now begin to consider that 
your ewe will soon be dropping a lamb 
and she must take from her body or her 


Feeding food the substance for her 
Pregnant young. The lamb is made 
Ewes of muscle tissue and bone 


and not fat and while your ewe should 
be gaining weight she should not be fed 
to an over fat condition. Exercise com- 


bined with clean feed will help your ewe 
to produce a strong active lamb and to 
have sufficient milk to nourish it. Such 
ewes are less likely to have trouble in 
lambing and not as apt to disown their 
lambs. 

On most farms there will be spare 
pasture, oat or wheat stubble, old clover 
pasture and corn stalks that can well be 
used in carrying the flock into the winter. 
Such pasture will usually prove sufficient 


' to feed the sheep until the middle of De- 


cember or first of January, when you 
should begin to feed a half to _ three- 
fourths of a pound of grain each day. If 
in thin flesh this may be increased to 
a pound for ewes weighing 150 pounds. 
Whole oats make a -very satisfactory 
feed for sheep and particularly the preg- 
nant ewe if fed with legume hay. Other 
grains and manufactured products as 
cotton seed meal or cake, linseed oil meal 
or cake, soy bean meal and bran can be 
successfully used to a limited extent. 
Corn alone is not considered a good feed 
for pregnant ewes for it is too fattening 
and not a good bone and tissue builder. 
If mixed with oats or any of the con- 
centrates above mentioned it may be 
very successfully used as a part of the 
ration or if fed with legume hay. 

The feed to be used must depend on 
the cost which is largely determined by 
the section of the country. In the 
Watch the south pasture will be the 
Expense most economical feed and 
Account ‘usually good the year 


around. Hay and corn will easily tide 
over the short period of the scanty feed. 
In the eastern two-thirds of the country 
corn will be the cheapest grain, while 
the meals and bran will be comparative- 
ly high priced. In this case a third to 


A typical range ewe. 
—Courtesy Mo. Agr. Coi- 


Mr. Gould is interested in the Sheep Club, 


He says he hopes to have time to 


answer all questions the Club Members may ask. 


half a pound of corn and two pounds of 
legume hay each day would be most eco- 
nomical. Clover, alfalfa, soybeans, cow- 
peas, lespedeza, vetch and field pea hays 
are commonly called legume hays. In 
case one of these hays is available in 
abundance as it is in the west it will 
be unnecessary to feed grain until six 
weeks before lambing time which is 
around 145 days after breeding. Hay 
and all the cornstalks the sheep can pas- 
ture through in six hours will prove suf- 
ficient as long as the stalks carry any 
leaves. Oat and wheat straw may be 
used in place of the hay if cotton seed 
meal or oil meal is also fed. An eighth 
of a pound of either of these is all that 
can profitably be fed to sheep at present 
prices, 

Silage may safely be fed to pregnant 
ewes provided it is made from well ma- 
tured corn, cut fine and tramped down 
well. All mouldy or frozen silage must 
be carefully avoided. A pound and a half 
a day is sufficient with plenty of hay. If 
the sheep fall in condition a little grain 
should be added. 

Sheep will not relish filthy feed or 
that which has once been fed and left. 
Clean troughs and clean feed are every 
bit as essential as having feed at all. © 

In order to clear the situation the fol- 
lowing typical rations are listed with 
amount fed each day. It must be remem- 
bered that only one of these should be 
used at one time and sudden changes of 
feed avoided: 

Ration 1—Pasture, corn stalks, etc. 


DOMINO ELA Y © hate) aheegeys se ste 1 pound 
Ration 2—Pasture, corn stalks, etc. 
RE Coat gM oi ea Re ons SS 3-4 pound 
merumeiiay eo. 6. ek es 1-2 pound 
Ration 3—Silage .......... 1 pound 
egame) Hayooy ...)6 ase *,..2 pounds 
Ration 4——-Silage. 0. vcs. 2 pounds 
Shelled Corn ©. ic. 5s oe 1-2 pound 
PATO C wit Vinee inte vrae arte eos 2 pounds 
Ration 5—Alfalfa Hay ..2 1-2 pounds 
Shelled Corn) ....4-7. 40% Ys 1-2 pound 


In addition to feed and_ shelter the 
ewe needs salt and water. Salt should 
be supplied weekly or kept in a box near 
the feed troughs. Clean fresh water is 
a requirement for successful sheep keep- 
ing. The statement is often made that 
sheep get enough moisture from the 
snow and grass but if you will keep them 
supplied with water you will appreciate 
the extent to which sheep drink. The 
importance of cleanliness cannot be over 
emphasized, both in connection with 
feeding and also in regard to water. If 


This ewe is daughter of the Western ewe 


and a pure bred ram. 
—Courtesy Mo. Agr. Col. 


you are going to water them see to it 
that it is clean water. ; 
During the winter when on feed there 
is danger that the ewes will not get 
enough exercises to keep in active, thrifty 


Exercise condition. It is a good prac- 
Has Its tice to scatter the hay in | 
Place the field on dry days and let 


them walk about for it. If they get no 
exercise naturally, they should be driven | 
around slowly for half an hour. As long 
as they are on pasture such a precau- 
tion is unnecessary. Pregnant ewes 
should not be made to go over places 
where they must strain themselves nor 
through narrow passages where they 
crowd as abortion may result. 

Caring for a ewe is mainly the ap- 
plication of patience and good sense. It 
stands to reason that fat, sluggish, 
pampered animals will not make good 
mothers nor have strong lambs; neither 
will thin, worn out ewes produce healthy, 
thrifty young that come quickly to their 
feet and look for mother’s milk. . 

As stated before the period of. preg- 
nancy is one hundred and forty-five days. 
The date the ewes may be expected to 


The Approach lamb will be furnished 
of Lambing each boy with his ewes. 
Season As this time approaches 


the ewe should be watched. The first 
indication of pregnancy will be a notice- 
able falling of the underline and a tend- 
ency for the loin to stand out due to the 
sinking in of the sides in front of the 
hips and over the rump. This will. usual- 
ly not appear until shortly before the day 
the lamb comes. Later the udder be- 
gins to fill out and a few days before 


- lambing will have reached some size. 


In rare cases the bag does not fill until 


Get the Sheep and win a thoroughbred Ram then you will have the Start of a 
Valuable Flock. 


after the lamb comes. A few hours be- 
fore lambing, it not infrequently hap- 
pens, that the ewe will begin to look for 
her lamb and call for it. She may even 
go so far as to claim other lambs in the 
pen. 

Warm quarters should be prepared for 
_the ewe and her lamb in climates where 
it is.cold and the lamb comes early. An 
airy, open barn may be made warm by 
stuffing straw between the wall and a 
few boards that are nailed six inches 
from it holding the straw in position. 
When first born the young lamb is wet 
and weak and easily affected by the cold 
so each ewe as she is about to lamb 
should be put in the warmest corner of 
the shed. 

During the last few days the ewe 
should be fed lightly on grain but may 
receive all of the roughage and succulent 
feed she can consume. The use of much 
grain at this time may mean milk fever 
and caked udder afterwards. You should 
also trim the wool away from about the 
udder for the new born lamb will suck 
a tag as readily as a teat. 

Before lambing begins you should have 
a few supplies gathered so that you will 
not be delayed in case of trouble. The 
most important drugs include carbolic 
acid or liquid sheep dips for disinfectant; 
castor oil and epson salts for physic, 
fluid extract of belladonna for swellings, 
ginger’ for stimulant, and soap for in- 
jections in case of constipation. Appli- 
ances that you will find use for includes 
a nipple and a small necked bottle for 


feeding and something warm to wrap 


about a chilled lamb. 

Whenever there is indication that a ewe 
is about to lamb (she may start to paw 
the bedding with her front feet) it is 


When the’ well to place a _ hurdle 
Lamb around her to keep the other 
Comes ewes away and to keep her 


lamb or lambs from straying before she 
becomes acquainted. Such a partition 
must be of slats of wire so that she can 
. see her kind and not feel restless from 
being in a strange place. It can be 
made out of’ one by four inch boards 
built as two sections of a fence thirty 
inches high and four feet long, hinged 
together so they will stand. A frame 
covered with woven wire fencing will 
do very well, See drawing for combina- 
tion lambing pen and creep. 

Now is the time to leave her alone. 
Unless she is very well acquainted with 
you keep out of sight. I know it is your 
first lamb—weak and helpless—but leave 


~ Mother 


it alone. There may be another lamb 
coming and you will needlessly excite her. 

_As soon as the lamb is born the mucus 
should be wiped from its nose and mouth 
so that it may breath. It is well to 
smear a little over the ewe’s nose so that 
she will more quickly recognize her lamb. 

There is a very slight possibility that 
she may have difficulty in laboring due 
to wrong presentation but the chances 
are not one in ten, so it is up to you 
to leave her alone. If there is trouble 
call some experienced stockman in .your 
neighborhood and let him help you. It 
is something that takes experience and 
cannot be taught by reading. 

If the ewe is strong and motherly she 
will soon come to her feet and care for 
the lamb. If she is weak or a poor 


Helping mother place the lamb close 
the to her nose and she will 
soon respond to its bleating. 


Then she should be left alone again so 
that she-may clean the mucus off the 
lamb, feed it and become acquainted. In 
half an hour you should visit her again 
for the lamb may be unable to get milk 
due to the anxiety of the ewe to see her 
lamb in which case hold the ewe until the 
lamb gets its first meal. She may be 
backed into a corner and held with the 
knee, leaving the hands free to help the 
lamb. It may be necessary to squeeze a 
little of the milk into the mouth of the 
lamb if weak or stubborn. A good sleep 
and several more fills of milk will put 
a weak lamb on its feet. In the case of 
very weak lambs it may be necessary 
to draw a little milk and pour it in the 
lamb’s mouth. Some lambs may appear 
lifeless so that you must blow into their 
mouths and pat their chest to revive 
them. They are then treated like any 
weak lamb. 


A granddaughter of the Western ewe. 
—Courtesy Mo. Agr. Col. 


In cold and chilly damp weather the 
newborn lamb may become chilled so 
badly that it will die if not helped. Us- 
ually revival can be affected by placing 
the lamb up to its head in water as hot 
as can be comfortably born by the hand. 
The purpose is to restore the temperature 
of the lamb and start circulation, there- 
fore, when the lamb is active it may be 
taken from the water and thoroughly 
dried, given a feeding and put in a warm 
place for a sleep after which it can be 
put with the ewe. Do this as quickly as 
possible for if kept away- too long the 
ewe may disown the lamb. Another plan 
is to place the lamb in half a barrel of 
bran with hot water bottles in it. This 
will dry off the lamb as well as warm 
it up. Moreover the ewe in licking off 
the bran will leave the smell of its own 
body on the lamb and will be more apt 
to own it. 

The most common difficulty and a 
very vexing one is the disowning of a 


lamb. A ewe may refuse her lamb at 
The birth or may recognize only 
Disowned one of a pair of twins. 
Lamb Again she may care for it 


for several days and then disown it or 
she may refuse her lamb if taken away 
for a few hours. No one method will 
persuade some ewes that they have a 
lamb demanding their attention. Here 
are some suggestions in case this hap- 
pens. 

A strange dog placed near them while 
they are confined in a lambing pen may 
cause recognition of one another for, 
protection. If a little of the ewes milk 


is rubbed on the lambs rump and her 
own nose she may permit the lamb to 


A great granddaughter of the Western 
ewe. 

The use of a good pure bred sire has 

made this ewe as valuable as many 


registered animals. 
--Courtesy Mo. Agr. Col. 


$100 in Gold—Say won’t it be great to win it. 


suckle, due to the similarity in odor. A 
ewe seems to’ recognize her lamb by the 
smell and on this basis various plans may 
be worked out. Persistently holding the 
ewe, causing her to permit the lamb to 
nurse, may eventually reform her. 

In the case of twins the situation is 
even more vexing for one lamb gets an 
over supply of milk while the other. is 
starved. In this case both lambs may be 
kept from her and turned in together 
in which case they have nearly equal 
chances particularly if the ewe is held. 

A lamb orphaned by the death of its 
mother or her inability to furnish milk, 
as well as the disowned lamb that has 
been unsuccessfully offered the ewe, may 
be given to a ewe which has lost her 
lamb or has sufficient milk for two. 
Where a ewe is used whose lamb has 


‘died the skin of ‘the dead lamb should 


7 


‘a few days. 


be removed and placed on the new one for 
Some of the other methods 
mentioned may also be followed. In 
changing mothers the lamb should go to 
a ewe whose lamb would be about the 
same age. 

In case of insufficient milk it may be 
substituted with cows milk with a little 
sugar in it. Such milk should be warm 


The and fed frequently in small 
Hand-fed quantities, about two table- 
Lamb spoonfuls every two hours 


on the first day. Here is where the nip- 
ple and bottle comes in handy. 

The common diseases and ailments of 
lambs are listed here for reference: 

PINNING is the collection of the first 
sticky dung on the underside of the tail 
so that it must be scraped away. This 
is the novice’s most common trouble. 

INDIGESTION appears as a convul- 
sion and is best relieved by a scant table- 
spoon of castor oil. 

WHITE SCOURS is a digestive dis- 
order caused by improper feeding.of the 
ewe. Give her clean feed and do not 
suddenly change the ration. 

CONSTIPATION is indicated by 
straining and distress in passing feces 
and may be remedied by a teaspoonful 
of castor oil or an injection of warm 
soapy water. 

IMPACTION—Milk curdles. in lumps 
in the intestines, particularly the best 
nourished ones and those on cow’s milk. 
Drooping ears and sluggish action are 
the symptoms. Treat the same as con- 
stipation. 

SORE MOUTH is the result of scabs 
and sores which should be opened and 
treated with a solution of liquid dips or 


Three Boys will have their notes cancelled each year—You be one of the first. 


medium strength copper sulphate solu- 
tion. 
- SORE EYES are detected by a milky 
appearance of fiery reddish color. Get 
a little 16 per cent. solution of Argyrol 
and put one drop in the eye twice a day. 
The successful lamb grower keeps his 
lamb growing from the day it is born. 
A strong lamb at birth should make 


Growing steady and uninterrupted 
the gains, as at this _ period 
Lamb weight is put on more eco- 


nomically than in the mature animals. 
At first your lamb receives all of its 
nourishment from its mother’s milk, but 
later it is natural for it to feed on the 
grasses, grains and hay. To make your 
animals do their best it is necessary 
not only to insure a good milk supply 
but also that they learn to eat early. 
The ewe is growing wool, producing 
milk and striving to maintain her body 
weight. Because of these heavy demands 
it is necessary to feed her liberally with 
feeds of good quality. If she is a good 
suckler, she will even then lose 
weight. To encourage her in eating as 
much as possible she should be supplied 
with a variety of feeds since these stim- 
ulate the appetite and will insure that 
she is getting an all-around good ration. 
Variety does not mean daily change but 
a number of different feeds fed regularly. 
A valuable addition to the ration at this 


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time is a succulent or juicy feed to stim- 
ulate the appetite and increase the flow 
of milk. Such feeds possess a marked 
toning effect on the body besides regulat- 
ing the digestive system. Silage, pas- 
ture, and roots are the principal feeds 
of this class. Two pounds ‘of good silage 
goes well with the average ewe and 
should be increased to three pounds after 
the lamb gets to taking large quantities 
of milk. On most farms silage is not 
available and pasture will be the only 
succulent feed that you will have. 

It is not always advisable to wait until 
the grass gets a good start so that tem- 
porary, early pastures are valuable. The 
earliest pasture for sheep is 
winter rye. In fact it can 
be sown early enough to 
provide a little pasture in the fall if nec- 
essary, but this is not advisable since it 
does not do so well the next spring. If 
it must be pastured in the fall it should 
be sown in early August in the northern . 
states and later farther south. Under no 
conditions in the extreme north should 
it be sown later than the middle of Sep- 
tember. It requires two bushel of seed 
per acre when drilled. In pasturing, 
sheep may be put on very early in the 
spring because they can crop more close- 
ly than other animals. It should be kept 
closely grazed so that it will not joint 
as after that time it is woody and less 
productive and palatable. If it gets the 


Temporary 
Pastures 


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Peer 
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. SECTION THRV A.A. 
“A Combination Hurdle for a Lambing Pen and Lamb Creep.” 


8 


Tell all the boys in your neighborhood about the Bradley Sheep Club—We will 


help them all to get sheep. 


“Baby’s Bottle for the Lamb.” 


best of you let it grow up and it will pro- 


duce the usual grain crop. 

Rape makes a very excellent pasture. 
Although not as early as rye it can be 
pastured heavily for a long season and 
gives much excellent feed. An average 
acre will carry ten to fifteen sheep. Rape 
requires no more preparation for a seed 
bed than oats. It may be sown as soon 
as the ground is dry enough to work. 
Seed with a drill at the rate of two 
pounds per acre or it may be broadcasted 
and harrowed in at the rate of three to 
five pounds, For late sheep pasture it 
may be sown as late as the first cultiva- 
tion of corn. In the south it is possible 
to sow it in the autumn so as to provide 
very early spring pasture. It should not 
be pastured until well established and 
will soon come up again after once eaten 
down, if the season is not exceedingly 


dry. Sheep should not be _ turned 
upon it when hungry nor’ when 
the rape is wet as there is consid- 


erable danger of bloat. It is a good prac- 
tice when first turning sheep in to leave 
them in but a couple of hours immediate- 
ly following a good feed. This time can 
be gradually increased until it is com- 
paratively safe to leave them on all day. 
It is a good practice to put sheep on 
grass at night and during the day run 
them on rape while it is dry. Rape may 
be pastured until badly frosted after 
which time there is danger of digestive 
troubles. 

Bloating, or swelling of the paunch, 
may occur when sheep are on green pas- 
ture of any kind but particularly on 


Treatment clover, alfalfa, and rape. It 
oO comes on suddenly and may 
Bloat smother the animal before 
relieved. Placing a piece of broom 


handle or something of the kind far back 
in the jaws of the sheep and pressing 


RAC. 


with the knees against the flanks may 
expell the air. Again a pint of fresh, 
warm cow’s milk may absorb the gas. Asa 
last resource a trocar and cannula should 
be inserted three to four inches in front 
of and a little below the hip on the left 
side. 

In the extreme northern sections oats 
and Canadian peas make a good pasture. 
The peas should be drilled two or three 
inches deep and the oats lightly harrowed 
in at the rate of four pecks of each per 
When young the oats are too 
watery but after the oats have headed 
out this is an excellent feed particularly 


when cut and fed. 


This is the time of the year to be con- 
sidering the pasture crops that will carry 
your sheep over the periods of scant feed 
during the summer. 

We return now to the feeding of the 
ewe while suckling her lamb. In addition 
to the silage or pasture including blue- 


Other grass as well as the annual 
Feeds for crops mentioned, the nursing 
the Ewe ewe should receive grain and 
roughages. As stated before, a heavy 


grain ration should not be fed around 
lambing time. Three or four days after 
the lamb is born it is well to resume the 
feeding of grain unless the supply of 
milk is very scanty, The first grain to 
be fed is bran as it is bulky and has a 
laxative effect. A few days later oats 
should be added and in a week corn, 
oil meal and other feeds can be used to 
supply variety. Each addition of new 
feed should be spread over several days 
and not made effective at one feeding. 
Such a system of feeding in the first 
ten days following lambing is nearly | 
ideal but the cost is a factor that must 
receive consideration in adopting this ra- 
tion to your conditions. In modifying 
this plan remember that bran or oats 
should be used first because they are not 
heating and their bulk tones up the di- 
gestive system. Corn, wheat, and oil 
meal are richer foods and should be with- 
held until the animal is over the effects 


“Moving a Light Burlap Shade.” 


i ae ro Be yf ba TT of ‘ fog ghee ped 
ad \ Ra eV BON, IC AA Re } 24 ia iA ASK in 
bF i 


We hope to have the Ewes that you get Bred to a Pure Bred Ram—this will be 


the basis of a fine flock. 


of lambing and accustomed to the other 
feeds. 

The following are a few suggested 
grain mixtures that can well be fed the 
ewe. 

1—The first ration after lambing may 
be 


Wheat? brantioc sete 10 pounds 
Oats #uhs,: ccrvae rope ees tye 5 pounds 
Note: The oats can be increased to 


ten pounds and corn substituted for the 
bran, 


2-——Shelled sCOrn: wine ee ae 5 pounds 
Oats VAs idee Nee Apt ete 8 pounds 
Brant. os ok eee eee 2 pounds 
Linseed oil meal ....... 1 pound 
Sj onelled, COTM 1. 4s.c fee tee 10 pounds 
Oats Woe tee tee epee 10 pounds 
Wheatsbran]... 3.50. s4 6 pounds 
Linseed oil meal ,...... 1 pound 
4—Shelled- corn .........%;5 10 pounds 
Oats’ (ane ticbae sn cele’. ose 10 pounds 
Wheat pralicotsmis se <2 oe 3 pounds 
Linseed oil meal ....... 2 pounds 


5—To be used not sooner than two 
weeks after lambing. 

Shelled corn 

Oates.) Set Meee neue, 10 pounds 


Many experienced sheepmen, particu- 
larly in the south and west, do not ad- 
vocate feeding grain except to weak ewes. 
The practice of feeding grain, however, 
is followed by the successful sheep rais- 
ers everywhere. They have found that 
the gains in the lambs and the lower 
loss in weight of the ewes more than re- 
pays for the grain consumed. You are 
raising your ewe lambs for breeding pur- 
poses and, therefore, they should be well 
grown out and not scrawny, half starved 
animals. 

In addition to the succulent feeds and 
grain, hay should be used to supply bulk 
and add further variety to the ration. 
The legume hays mentioned, as clover, 
alfalfa, soybean, and cowpea are better 
than timothy and prairie hays, _ since 
they contain the kinds of feed needed in 
growing out a strong thrifty lamb. Of 
course they must be clean and sweet as 
damaged hay will lead to digestive dis- 
orders that quickly affect the young lamb 
through the milk. 

The amount of the various feeds to be 
given the suckling ewe depends on a 
number of factors. The early lamb in 


10 pounds 


see eer eee eee 


How a cold, damp spring re- 
Much quires more harvested feeds 
To Feed than the late one in warmer 
weather, A ewe suckling twins of course 


needs more feed than the ewes with sin- 


10 


gles. When first starting a pound of 
grain will prove enough for a hundred 
pound ewe but she may eat a pound and 
a half in addition to two pounds of hay 
and two or three pounds of silage or daily 
pasture. With an abundance of pasture 
the ewe will probably not clean up more 
than a pound of hay. 

When at full feed sheep should re- 
ceive a little less than they will clean up. 
Feed the grain first and if using several 
kinds mix it up and feed at one time. 
If feeding silage or roots it should fol- 
low the grain and be fed in a quantity 
that can be quickly cleaned up. Hay 
comes last and should be just as much 
as they will eat before the next feeding. 
If sheep do not have an opportunity to 
drink between feeds they should be wat- 
ered before feeding. It is important that 
feeding be done regularly twice a day. 
You cannot lie abed Sunday morning and 
expect your sheep to do well if they are 
kept waiting for feed. 

The statements made in regard to 
the amount of feed and the extensive 
variety suggested are suited to the cold 
climates. Some grain, however, should 
be fed in all sections for two months fol- 
lowing lambing or until abundant pas- 
ture. Hay should be fed as long as the 
ewes are suckling. 

The -lamb will begin to imitate its 
mother by eating a little when from ten 
to fifteen days old. Every opportunity 


The Lambs’ should be seized of encour- 
First aging the lamb to nibble. 
Meal At first all grain should be 


ground to a meal not a flour. After they 
are five or six weeks old they will be 
able to handle shelled corn very readily. 
A good grain mixture for the lamb just 
beginning is made up of 


Ground) (corn: 4. .e asa ee 1 pound 
Crushed oats". 1.3.55. 1 pound 
Linseed oil meal ........ 1 pound 
Wheat bran:=). 25. 2 pounds 


. 
* 


fe 
6-12-19" 
Lf iu . 
: i Peesthe 
{ 


cmt 


nation hay and grain rack with solid front to keep feeding msterialp 
out of ficec 


ee 


\ 


Again the bran has a laxative effect and 
although it may:be left out of the ration 
if choice clean alfalfa or clover leaves 
can be found but it should be used if pos- 
sible. ; 

Since the feed for the lambs is the 
choicest that can be found it should be 


‘Kept away from the ewes who can get 


along on less choice food. A lamb creep 
is designed for this purpose. A drawing 
of a combination lamb creep and hurdle 
for a lambing pen will be found on page 
8. This can be set against the feed 
trough in the pen where the ewes are 
and the lambs may go through the open- 
ing to the feed in the trough. A special 
grain trough that is low 
lambs may be made flat-bottomed, nine 
inches wide, four deep, and with a six- 
inch board supported eight inches above 
the center, thus preventing the lambs 
from climbing into the trough. 

Surplus feed from the lamb trough 
should be given to the ewes each day so 
that the lambs can have fresh feed. Too 
much emphasis cannot be placed on 
cleanliness in caring for lambs. The 
surplus feed should be cleaned out daily 
and once a week the trough scrubbed 


_ with lime water as this sweetens them 


and leaves a pleasant odor. 

Place just a little feed in the trough 
when first beginning. A curious little 
lamb will soon find that there is some- 
thing tasty there and will begin to nib- 
ble. It isn’t long before they will all be 
eating a little each day. A lamb will 
seldom eat over a pound of bran the first 
week of eating unless he is very late in 
learning. At the end of four months he 
may be eating a pound a day while on 
pasture. 

The question arises, should a lamb be 
fed all it can eat? Your ram lambs that 


_ have been castrated when ten days old 


should be given all they will eat if they 
are to be marketed before extremely hot 
weather. If not marketed they should 
be fed more slowly and carried well into 
the late fall on pasture, being finished 
on a little grain. The ewe lambs that 
are being saved should receive a light 
grain ration until three weeks after 
weaning when there should be enough 
pasture to carry them along. During 
their first winter they should not require 
as much feed as a bred ewe that is de- 
veloping a lamb. 

When your lambs are a week old you 
should dock every one of them as the 
long tail gathers burrs and filth of all 
Docking kinds and makes a choice 
and place for 
Castrating maggots. The advisability 


infection with 


Help the Boys in the Trenches by helping supply wool for warm clothing. 


enough for 


11 


of this practice is indicated by the fact 
that very few sheep reach the market 
with tails. The best method is to use 
a hot pincers such as a blacksmith uses. 
They should be heated until red hot and 
the tail seared off one inch from the base. 
A thin board with a hole large enough to 
pull the tail through should be _ placed 
against the lamb’s body so as to prevent 
burning. With the use of the iron there 
is little loss of blood. Some people use 
a pruning shears, a block and chisel, or 
a sharp knife but there is danger of 
bleeding which may be stopped by tying 
a string around the stub. 

All males should be castrated as the 
use of a grade sire is not advisable. 
Castration insures rapid gains, higher 
finish, and a choicer meat and _ hence 
should be practiced on all animals in- 
tended for market. Three or four days 
after docking cut off the lower third of 
the scrotum with a clean, sharp knife, 
that has been disinfected in dip or car- 
bolic acid. Force one testicle down and 
grasp it with the thumb and two fingers 
and pull it out with the attached cord. 
If you have left the animal entire until 
the cord is tough it should be scraped 
off a couple of inches above the testicle. 
Treat both alike and disinfect the wound. 
If you use dip be sure to dilute it as it 
is very caustic. Place the sheep in a 
cleanly bedded pen and keep them quite. 
Both of these operations should be per- 
formed early in the morning before the 
lambs have had much exercise as this 
reduces the bleeding. ; 

As suggested before, lambs bring the 
highest price early in the season so that 
if your lambs come early they should be 
Weaning pushed hard and marketed 
when three to four months old without 
weaning. Otherwise they must be wean- 
ed from their mothers. The best way to 
wean is to put the flock on a good pas- 
ture for three or four days and then take 
the ewe away from morning until noon, 
when they may be let in for half an hour 
and returned again for the night. After 
two days of this they should be kept out 
at noon and in a week kept away entire- 
ly. While weaning, the lambs should be 
on good rich pasture and the ewes on 
a dry sparse one.. When completely sep- 
arated the ewe’s udder should be inspect- 
ed to see that it does not become full 
and cause caked. udder, 

After the lambs have been weaned a 
couple of weeks it is usually safe to turn 
them in with the ewes and carry them 
together the rest of the summer. 

One other operation that comes in the 
spring time is shearing. In the northern 


For years to come large profits from wool and mutton are assured. 


states, sheep that are sheltered at night 


The should be shorn in April. In 
Wool the southern states sheep 
Harvest can best be shorn in the 


few weeks preceeding corn planting, as 
work is not pressing and the weather is 
warm enough to save the sheep from the 
extreme cold. Too frequently sheep are 
left with their wool on until the very 
hot weather in summer. A heavy warm 
fleece is a burden and results in lower 
milk flow and much discomfort. Lambs 
that are coming yearlings may be shorn 
at the same time with the older stock. 


_abuse. 


Newly shorn ewes should be sheltered 


from cold rains and the hot sun and 
should not be kept in damp quarters. 
Fleeces should never be shorn when wet 
as such wool will mold. Shearing should 
be done on a clean smooth floor or a 
platform so as to keep the fleece clean 
and free from straw and dirt. 

For the young boy the hand shears are 
the cheapest as they can be bought for 
$1.50. A shearing machine shears closer 
to the body, can be operated quicker and 
the sheep become less restless. How- 
ever, a hand power shearing machine 
can be purchased for $12.00 which is not 
too great an investment for the young 
shepherd who expects to stay at the busi- 
ness. Machine shearing gets more wool 
than does hand shearing and with the 
same amount of care the sheep will not 
be so badly cut. 

There are several ways of shearing 
sheep and each shearer usually develops 


a system of his own. The following sug- . 


gestion, however, may prove profitable. 
Sheep when being shorn should be han- 
dled carefully to prevent struggling and 


Opening the Fleece at the Throat. ; 


12 


If your ewe starts to get away 
from you do not make a grab for her 
wool and hang on as this leaves a very 
tender spot. Roll the sheep carefully 
on to its rump. When you begin shear- 
ing hold the sheep’s head and open the 
fleece down the throat and all the way 
along the under line. If you are right 
handed begin to shear to the right, clean- 
ing the wool off the face and legs. In 
going over the legs go from the bottom 
up. The idea is to work from the short 
fleece into the long. You can now be- 
gin to take long smooth strokes, remov- 
ing the fleece from the sides and finally 
from the back. If you can watch some- 
body shear you will get a lot of good 
pointers. As you cut work the fleece 
back over the unshorn wool so as to keep 
it out of the way of the knives. When 
you have finished the right side roll the 
sheep over and do the same on the left, 
until the fleece is entirely off. 


In preparing your wool for market 
roll it with the flesh side out and tie it 
with common twine or the special paper 
fleece twine which can be purchased. 
Never use binder twine as it cannot be 
cleared from the fleeces and ruins the 
cloth into which it goes. A little care in 
preparing your fleece will insure a con- 
siderable better price. In the fleeces 
that will be sent in the contest shearing 
and tying will all be given consideration 
along with the quality of the fleece. 

Soon after shearing the sheep should 
be dipped. On a large scale dipping is 
done in a long tank built for the pur- 


The pose but such is an expen- 
Coming of sive plan and for a few ewes 
Summer a barrel or hogshead should 


be used. There are many dips on the- 
market but the most practical is the 
fluid dip which is sold in a concentrat- 
ed form to be diluted. It is a disinfect- 
ant as well as a means of killing ticks 
and scab mite. If your sheep were free 
from ticks when you get them it is prob- 
able that you will not have to dip for 
a few years, but if you do you should 
dip the lambs as well. 


During the summer the flock will be 
on pasture, waste fields and such pastures 
as were mentioned in connection with 
care in the fall. In the field in which 
your sheep are kept shade should be pro- 
vided. An accompanying picture shows 
a simple form made of boards and cov- 
ered with burlap. It is shown as it is 
being moved on a cart. A box for salt 
can be fastened in the frame and car- 
ried along. During the summer the 
sheep should be moved from one pas- 


Want to go to College? —the Sheep Club offers you the opportunity. 


Clearing the Belly of the Short Wool. 


ture to another every ten days and not 
returned for over a month. This will 
greatly reduce the danger from stomach 
worms. (For treatment see diseases.) 
Do not neglect your sheep during the 
summer. Too many owning a few. sheep 
forget that they have them and they are 
_ allowed to suffer from heat, worms, mag- 
gots, and may be pursued by dogs. Take 
time at night to bring them to a small 
yard with a six foot fence so that they 
will not be chased by dogs. You will 


then see them and will remember to give- 


theme a drink of water. As a further 
precaution against dogs bells on your 
sheep will let you know when they are 
being chased. 

As fall approaches you should have a 
pretty clear idea of the best time to have 
your lambs come the next spring. You 


The will then be able to calculate 
Breeding the date to breed. This 
- Season should be in ‘cool weather 


for the ewes do not breed at other 
times. Prior to breeding, the ewe should 
be fed hay so that she is gaining weight 
as she is more apt to have twins and will 
come into heat sooner. This is called 
flushing. The ram should be placed with 
the ewes during the night and kept up 
during the day as it will be much easier 
on him. Some ewes may not “get” at 
the first breeding in which case they 
may be expected to come in again in 
sixteen days. 

During the breeding season the ram 
should receive a feed of grain twice a 
day. After the breeding season he should 
be removed from the ewe flock as he will 
annoy the ewes and by his butting cause 
abortion. The ewe lambs cannot be bred 


13 


a 


as it is hard on them even when receiv- 
ing the most exacting care. No breed- 
er intentionally permits his rams to run 
with his lambs. 

Just how you will breed your ewes the 
fall of 1918 has not been completely 
worked out but some system will be 
devised. Eventually you will want to 
select a breeding ram and it is well to 
know what characteristics he should pos- 
sess. First he should be a pure-bred of 
the breed you most prefer. Since you 
began with grade ewes, you will have a 
very high grade flock by the time your 
note is due if you use a good pure-bred 
ram. The accompanying pictures illus- 
trates just how much you may expect 
from such a practice. In changing sires 
do not change the breed or else all your 
breeding work will be in vain. A pure- 
bred ram carries the ability to stamp 
his character strongly on his offspring 
so that his lambs will resemble him. 
Therefore, he should be symmetrical-or 
evenly developed throughout, have well 
filled thighs, deep full twist, wide loin, 
well spring ribs, smooth shoulder and 
neck, a clean, even, deep covering of fine 
flesh. His fleece should be dense, long, 
and with a fine crimp or wave. He should 
be active and vigorous, an athlete of his 
kind. Wide open bright eyes, well ex- 
panded nostrils, deep chest, well extend- 
ed and filled brisket, and bold, direct, 
brisk movements are the indications of a 
“breedy”’ sire. 

Do not breed a sire back to his daugh- 
ters as it will intensify his bad char- 
acteristics. When that becomes neces- 
sary exchange rams or sell him and buy 
a new one from a reliable dealer, de- 
manding a registration pedigree. 

Having bred your ewes you are again 
back to the season at which this book- 
let began, but before closing we will add 
a brief list of books and bulletins which 
will help you if you wish to go farther 
into the sheep game. 

Two books of national scope are Sheep 
Management by Frank Kleinheinz of the 
University of Wisconsin and Productive 


Some Sheep Husbandry by Prof. 
Other W. C. Coffey of the Uni- 
Books versity of Illinois, which 


will be off the press in the fall. We-will 
be glad to connect you with the publish- 
ers of either of these books. 

Farmers’ Bulletin 810 published by the 
Department of Agriculture deals with 
“Equipment for Farm Sheep Raising” 
and two of the plans in this booklet are 
taken from it and there are many more 
good ideas to be found there. 


For years to come large profits from wool and mutton are assured. 


Prof. B. O. Severson of Pennsylvania 
State College, State College, has writ- 
ten a very excellent booklet entitled 
“Sheep Raising”, Extension Circular 49 
and covers all phases of the industry, 
particularly for eastern conditions. 


“Sheep Husbandry in Oklahoma,” Bul. 
111 of the Oklahoma Experiment Sta- 
tion at Stillwater, has just been issued 
by W. L. Carlyle and D. A. Spencer. It 
is full of good ideas for the shepherds 
of that section of the country. 


“A Brief Discussion of Sheep for Lou- 
isiana Conditions” was preparaed by W. 
H. Dalrymple as Circular 22 of the 
Louisiana Experiment Station at Baton 
Rouge. It summarizes the conditions 
existing in the south and will prove very 
helpful in those conditions. 

The bulletins mentioned may be ob- 
tained free by writing and asking for 
them. There are many others on all 
phases of the sheep industry that may be 
obtained at the different experiment sta- 
tions that are usually located in connec- 
tion with the State Agricultural Colleges. 
These people furnish a very reliable 
source-of information and will furnish 
advice whenever asked, 

Here are arranged in_ alphabetical 
order the most common troubles you may 
have and brief directions for relief. 
Diseases Lamb troubles were dis- 
cussed in connection with the care of the 
lamb. 

ABORTION—Throwing the lamb may 
be a contagious disease but is usually 
due to rough handling, crowding or in- 
jury. Prevention is the only hope. 

BLOAT—Excessive paunch that may 
smother the animal. Fasten piece of 
wood like broomhandle between the jaws 
and knead the sides of the animal. Use 
trocar and cannula as a last resort, in- 
serting four inches in from end and a 
little below of left hip bone. 

CAKED BAG AND GARGET—Keep 
the udder milked out and do not allow 
the ewe to be exposed. Massage the 
udder with a lininent made of — 

1-2 pint tincture of arnica. 
1 1-2 ounces tincture of belladonna. 
1 ounce spirits of camphor. 

COLDS—May well be let alone except 
in long continued cases, when a tea- 
spoonful of carbonate of iron, a wine- 
glassful of whiskey, and as much quinine 
as can be held on a nickel should be.ad- 
ministered every other day for three or 
four doses. — 

CONSTIPA TION—Suckling lambs, tea- 
spoonful to tablespoonful of castor oil. 
Mature sheep, four to six ounces in a 


— 


pint of warm water. In extreme cases 
small quantities of stimulants should be 
used in addition. In case of pain do not 
use salts but castor oil. 


DIARRHEA or SCOURS—In suckling 
lambs give a teaspoonful to tablespoon- 
ful of castor oil. In older animals a 
change of pasture or feed is sufficient. 
In the latter case it may be caused by 
weeds in feed or by worms. 


FOOT ROT—Cut away the diseased 
parts and treat with a salve of blue - 
vitrol and lard. Keep the foot protected 
until healed. 

GRUB IN THE HEAD OR GAD FLY 
—No cure but may be prevented by 
smearing noses with tar, Unless preva- 
lent in the neighborhood may well be 
left alone. | 

IMPACTION—Milk becomes hard in 
the intestines of suckling lambs, par- 
ticularly the best nourished ones. A fat 
lamb with drooping ears and sluggish 
action is most likely a victim. A table- 
spoonful of castor oil should clear out 
but if it does not give an injection of 
warm soap suds. Improper feeding in 
mature sheep may result in impaction 
in which case use a purgative. 

LAMENESS—Probably caused by a 
small pore just above the hoof becoming 
filled with mud that can be pressed out. 

MAGGOTS—A worm that develops in 
the filth that collects on the wool. The 
worm feeds on the flesh. Clean and dis- 
infect with diluted dip solution. — 

SCAB—Use a standard dip as directed. 

STOMACH WORMS—Serious in sheep 
and often fatal to lambs. Wasting away 


and blue papery skin are the principal 


14 


A Long Sweeping Stroke Should bodiaed 
on the Sides. 


In 5 years the value of your flock together with the money you have made from 
the Sale of Lambs and Wool should make quite a respectable sum. 


symptoms. Withhold all feed and water 
at night and in the morning give a tea- 
spoonful of gasoline mixed with half a 
glass of milk as a drench. Feed after 
three hours. Repeat three successive 
days. <A rotation of pastures will serve 
as a partial preventative. A very com- 
mon and important trouble. 

TAPE WORMS—Any vermifuge on 
an empty stomach, such as powdered 
araca nut in two dram doses. 
are valuable in this respect. 

TICKS—Use a standard dip as di- 
rected, 

It is wiser to err on the side of over 
caution than to be reckless and trust to 
chance possibilities producing the strong 


A Few active lamb which you desire. 
Parting Let your caution, however, not 
Words' include over feeding, particu- 


larly at lambing time, and keeping the 
ewe in heated quarters except when with 
her newborn lamb. 

Common sense is worth just as much 
in the care of a flock as in handling any 
kind of live stock. Like all types of ani- 
mals they fully repay for attention given 
them. 

If you start now with four bred ewes 
and save all the ewe lambs and use a 
pure bred sire you should have received 
by the fall of 1922 at least 350 pounds 
of wool from your breeding stock, have 
a flock of fifteen ewes and six ewe lambs 
besides the money derived from mar- 
keting twenty wethers. You have been 
well repaid for your time and now have 
a foundation flock of high grade ewes to 
clean the fence corners and harvest the 
feeds that would otherwise be wasted on 
the farm that you expect to own within 
the next few years. 

As I sit here writing these feet few 
words to you fellows I wish that I could 
make you see the opportunity that lies 
before you. Only yesterday a man came 
into the office from Iowa, one of their 
biggest feeders. I asked him how he got 
his start. When nineteen he borrowed 
the money to pay a dollar a piece for 
forty-five decrepit toothless ewes. How 
much greater is your opportunity. 

The Bradley Knitting people are good 
enough to extend for you the credit nec- 
essary to buy four bred ewes. Today 
there are many opportunities to borrow 
money from the banks and other sources. 
If the committee does not finally award 
you with a flock of ewes it is no exctse 
for you to lay down and say you had no 
chance. Don’t ‘give: people an oppor- 
tunity to say that you are not made of 


Pumpkins 


the right stuff. The man whom you ad- 

mire had no better chance than is yours 

now. Five years from now you should 

be able to have a choice flock besides the 

money in the bank if you will only start. 
Boy, think of the future. 


Finishing the Shearing Over the Back. 


RULES OF CONTEST. 

I Bradley Sheep Club contest is open to boys 
of 18 to 17 years of age inclusive, who live on 
farms where no sheep are kept at present. 

II A boy who enters the Bradley Sheep Club . 
contest must be vouched for by three persons. 

1 One of our dealers or his school teacher or 
superintendent. 

2 By the county agent or-a land owner who is 
a citizen of the United States. 

3 By their pastor or postmaster. 

These endorsements to be written on applica- 
tion blank and signed by the boy. In making ap- 
plication the following form is suggested: “I 
hereby make application for the Bradley Sheep 
Club examination paper. If sucessful in getting 
the sheep I will care for them to the best of 
my ability and try to interest my neighbors in 
sheep raising.’ 

Be sure that the post office address and. name 
of the applicant is written plainly so that there 
will be no possibility of the examination paper 
going astray. 

To all boys sending in applications we will 
send examination blanks consisting of ten ques- 
tions on sheep raising, and the last will be an 
essay of not less than one hundred words or not 
more than two hundred words on how to raise and 
care for sheep. The answer will tend to show 
whether the boy has studied this booklet. 

The examination blanks will be mailed to the 
boys on August 25. After filling them out the 


‘boys will return them to the Bradley Knitting 


Company sometime between September 5 and 10, 
as the contest closes September 15. These papers 
will be turned over to the judges who will select 
the winners and announce them Octcber 15. The 
sheep will be delivered in October and November, 
depending on locality. When the winners are 
announced we shall announce cur Class B Sheep 
Club, which will consist of boys who have been 
unsuccessful in winning sheep but who will re- 
: (Continued on .back page.) 


3 


TT 


0112 098513432 


SOUTH LANCASTER FARMER MAKES MONEY ON SHEEP. 
“EK. V. Kern, a farmer living at Pigeon, was in town Saturday delivering his season. wool. 
This brought at 58.5 cents 


Kern has fifty sheep and his total shearing this year was 491 pounds. 


Mr. Kern started about ten years ago with four sheep. 
Aside from his sheep he shipped out fourteen lambs this year 


a total of $287.24. 
a buck. He used the Cotswold ‘type. 


that brought him $127.31 and has forty more to sell. 


Mr. 
Now he has fifty with 


A forty acre brush patch recently purchased, 


has been cleared for cultivation by the omnivorous sheep who eat anything and everything and are 


not the least bit choicy. Mr. 
and this season had three lambs, two being twins. 


Kern’s boy bought two sheep from his father last winter for $12 
He sold one lamb for $9.08 and the two fleeces 


He still has a pair of lambs and the old sheep 


from the old sheep for $10.58, there being 18 pounds. 
Mr. Kern, Sr., is a strong believer in sheep as a profitable farm 


to go on. Pretty good investment. 


animal.” : 
See what this Ohio boy did with this one ewe in two years. 


You should do four times as much. 
Now I have 


“Two years ago last fall I bought a registered Shropshire yearling for $15.00. 
I never bought but the one and have 


seven head, six ewes and one ram lamb and lost one lamb. 


sold $20.10 worth of wool. Who can beat that? 


“Union County, Ohio.’’ 


“HAROLD BEIGHTLER.” 


It is just as easy to get the flock as it sounds, if you are 


Don’t forget that we are offering val- 


Now boys you have read the booklet. 2 
in earnest in your desire ta get a start in sheep raising, and remember that after you get your 


sheep, they are yours to handle and do with as you please. 


uable prizes for the largest increase in flocks, to show you the profit to be made from sheep, for 


the more you have, the more money you are going to make. 
For years to come large profits from sheep and wool are assured, and after you get your’ sheep 
We will send you a Quarterly Bulletin on timely subjects and in 


we are not going to forget you. 
this Bulletin we will publish letters from the Club members, and we hope to publish’ their photo- 


In this way we will all get acquainted. 


graphs. 
Now—you want those sheep, don’t you? Send your application today. 


(Continued from page fifteen. 
ceive a flock of the same size and on the same 
terms as the Class A boys. ‘There will be a sec- 
ond set of prizes for the Class B the same as 
offered to the Class A. 

PRIZES: To each of the 12 boys sending in 
the best examination papers we will give a flock 
of four bred ewes. To the boy in each state who 
sends in the best paper after the 12 grand prize 
winners have been selected we will give a flock 
of four bred ewes, The winers will give a note 
for the purchase price of the sheep. The note is 
payable in 5 years and bears interest at 5 per 
cent payable annually. The sheep will be bought 
by the state agricultural college in almost every 
state. Where this is impossible they will he 
bought by some responsible live stock dealer. 
They will be grade ewes bred to a pure bred 
ram where possible. Judges of the contest will 
be Mr. Gould of the American Sheep Breeder, 
Mr, Gourd of the Breeders Gazette. The third 
party to be selected by them. 

ANNUAL PRIZES. 
The following prizes are offered annually for 
the largest increase in flocks: 

Cancel note fur the purchase pric~ of sheep. 
Cancel note for the purchase price of sheep. 
One pure bred ram. 5 $25 in gold. 
Ore pure bred ram. 6 $15 in gold: 
7 Bradley Sweater: 9 Bradley sweater. 


Oo poe 


; 
i 
i} ~, 


8 Bradley sweater. 10 $5 in gold. 


11-12-13-14-15 Medals. 
The above will be offered each year for four 


years. The first and second prize winners in each 
class each year are to be eliminated from compet- 
ing in future annual contests but are eligible 
for the grand prize offered in five years. In case 
of tie the condition of the. sheep will be taken 
into consideration in determining the winners. 
There will be annual prizes for the best fleece 


as follows: 
1 Cancel note for purchase price of sheep. 


2 Pure bred ram. : 
“3 Sweater made from fleece sent in by boy. 
4 $10 in gold. 5 $5 in gold. 6-7 Medals. 


_ Fleeces to be paid for at prevailing market prices. 
End of the fifth year we will offer grand sweep- 
stakes prizes for the largest increase in flocks. 
1 $100 in gold. 
2-3-4 Cancel notes for purchase price of sheep 
or if the note has previously been cancelled we 
will give an amount equal to purchase price of 


6 $40 in gold 7 $25 in gold 
8 $15 in gold. 9-10-11 Bradley sweaters. 
12 $5 in gold» 18-14-15 Gold medals. * 


16-17-18-19 Silver medals. 
In case of tie the condition of the sheep will be 


- taken into consideration in determining the win- 


sheep. 
5 $50 in gold 


ners, 


